


Getting Some Festive Reception

by PeptoBeezy



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Implied Sexual Content, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28292874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeptoBeezy/pseuds/PeptoBeezy
Summary: Members of the Investigation Team spend Christmas together.A Getting Some Bad Reception Christmas One-shot(Light foreshadowing for Getting Some Bad Reception)
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Labrys, Narukami Yu/Satonaka Chie, Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	Getting Some Festive Reception

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Eve if you celebrate it!
> 
> The title was originally going to be decided by a vote on my twitter, but it ended up being 50/50 so I flipped a coin.
> 
> Writing this was a great exercise, I had a lot of fun with this, and I hope you do too.
> 
> Enjoy!

**12/24 2013**

***Kanji and Naoto***

***K***

“Ya mind giving me a tape measure?” Kanji calls out through his open bedroom door as he begins twirling some blue thread around his finger, though no response comes. “Ma?” He waits for a few seconds, but clicks his tongue when he still doesn’t hear anything.

He puts on his glasses and stands up, walking over to the door. Upon getting closer, he can hear his mother speaking to someone else, whether they’re in the shop or on the phone, he doesn’t know. “...always so nice to see you. I thought you said you wouldn’t be coming back until after the new year?”

He waits another few seconds but can’t seem to hear anyone else speak other than his mom, so he decides to walk out of his room and peek his head around the corner to see who she’s talking to.

 _Who the hell could it be this late in the-_ His thoughts stop dead in their tracks.

\------

***N***

Naoto’s enjoying a pleasant conversation with Tatsumi-san, she had called a few days ago to say that she wouldn’t be able to return to Inaba in time for Christmas Eve, and that she’d be stuck in Tokyo until after the new year had started. Evidently, that was completely untrue.

She had decided to try to be playful and surprise Kanji for the first time since they became an item by lying about being busy. The first thing that crossed her mind about this idea was what could go wrong, Kanji could be upset that he was lied to, or that he’s unprepared to have visitors.

_...Well, not like it was my idea anyway._

With a viable scapegoat in mind, and a smile on her face, she turns to the poorly hidden head of black hair poking out from the door frame deeper in the shop. _He’s always adorable._ “Hello, Kanji.”

He immediately darts back behind the corner, sighing loudly, then coming out from his hiding place, leaning against the frame. He’s wearing a white tank top and black sweatpants; his ensemble being completed by a familiar pair of panda socks. “S-sup.” He says with a light blush on his features.

Tatsumi-san begins lightly nudging Naoto forward towards Kanji, “Now, you two go ahead and enjoy yourselves, I’ll bring you some tea.”

\------

***K***

He’s surprised, but good surprised. Naoto steps into his room and closes the door behind her. Kanji clears his throat, “Just uh… do me a favor and don’t look in that drawer.” He points to one of his nightstand’s two drawers, earning a raised brow from her. “Y-your gift isn’t done yet…”

 _God, I’m such a pussy…_ Kanji’s been avoiding looking at her since she entered the house, never truly learning how to look at her without becoming a blushing mess, like he is now. After shedding her navy blue peacoat, she’s wearing a white turtleneck sweater with suspenders attached to black slacks… she’s also wearing the blue polka dotted socks he made her last year. With her now shoulder-length hair, this is a bit much for the guy.

“O-oh, I see.” Naoto says. He chances a look at her, seeing her staring back at him with a smile on her face and a faint blush. “May I, um…?” She gestures a hand towards the bed.

“Oh! Shit, yeah, hang on a sec.” He runs over to his bed and frantically begins fixing the sheets. He hears Naoto giggle at something, then the next thing he knows the sheets slip from his hands as she’s jumped on the bed, lying on her stomach.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been able to relax.” She says with a sigh, making him go beet red. She rolls onto her side, patting the open spot next to her, “Come sit with me.”

He rubs his nose to make sure it isn’t bleeding from all this, thankfully it isn’t. He sighs and takes off his glasses, putting them on top of the nightstand, then sitting down on the bed facing away from her. “Thought you weren’t coming.”

He feels her shift behind him, inching a bit closer. “My arrival didn’t disappoint you, did it?” She says with a slight tone of regret in her voice.

He stiffens a bit, “N-no, course not! I’m excited as hell for you to be here!” He yells, then winces when he realizes he should calm down. He sighs and kicks an empty spool across the floor, “I was just… bummed, ya know? Thought I was gonna have to spend the holidays by myself.”

He jumps slightly as he feels a finger begin tracing lazy patterns along his back, “Don’t be silly, Kanji. You wouldn’t have been alone, you have the entire Investigation Team, save Senpai, here with you. Even Rise-chan came home to spend the holidays with us.” She says, and he can hear the gentle smile on her face. _That ain’t it…_

Kanji clears his throat, speaking softly. “I know, but… It’s different with you, ya know what I mean?” The finger leaves his back, making him panic a bit. “I-I just mean that it sucks when you ain’t here for days like-”

He’s interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around his torso and warmth all over his back. Naoto puts her head on his shoulder, “I miss you too.” She breathes a contented sigh, “It was a childish prank, I apologize.”

The warmth is a tad overwhelming for him, but he fights through it and leans his head on hers. “...S’alright.” A small smile comes to his face, “I was really happy when I saw you, so it made it worth it.”

She chuckles softly, and it’s music to his ears. “I suppose it was, then.” One of her arms leaves him and fishes out her phone, with which she texts someone then puts it away, setting it to silent. Her arm wraps around him again, only this time tracing those same lazy patterns on his chest.

\------

***N***

_I suppose now is as good a time as any._ She reluctantly removes herself from Kanji, and moves to sit beside him rather than behind him. “Would you like to see your present?”

He sits up straight, “Uh… sure.”

She digs into the pocket without her phone in it, and pulls out a small black wristwatch. She takes a hold of his hand and clasps it around his wrist, turning it on and pressing a button to make the display change, making it read **Distance: >1m**. She rolls up her left sleeve to show that she’s wearing an identical one on her left wrist as well.

He quirks an eyebrow and turns to her with a smile, “You get this idea from Chie-senpai?” She tilts her head, and he laughs warmly, and it’s music to her ears. “Her and Senpai have those matching wristbands, now we got matching watches.”

Naoto’s cheeks flush a bit, _I didn’t even realize! I essentially just copied their idea and used it for my own relationship. I’m no good at this, I should take it back and give him something more-_ She’s pulled out of her own thoughts by his other hand going over her right, intertwining their fingers.

“I love it, thank you, Naoto.” He says hushly, gently squeezing her hand as he finishes. “Now, how’d I make it tell the time again? My clock’s been broken for weeks.” He says, almost entirely ruining the mood they’d built up. _He’s an expert at that…_

She sighs and clicks the button again, making it read **8:46 PM**. “It’s still rather early in the night, perhaps we should go out and see if we could get dinner?” She says, eager that they still have quite some time before they should sleep.

He hums, “Ain’t a bad idea… Oh, I guess I don’t need a tape measure now…” He says quietly, turning to her with a deep blush on his face, “S-stay there for a sec.” He unlaces their fingers and stands up, pulling out whatever he put in the nightstand earlier. “C-can you close your eyes?”

 _Hmm?_ “Um, sure?” She says, confused and a bit excited as she closes her eyes. Kanji’s been quite the gift giver since they got together, whether it be the incredibly comfortable polka dotted socks she’s currently wearing that he made for her last Christmas, or the brown leather gloves he made for her birthday.

She feels something be put around her neck, and she’s about to start retaliating when she realizes just how soft whatever it is really is. She feels a few movements, and some snipping noises. “Aaand done, you can open ‘em now.”

She opens her eyes to see a very satisfied Kanji a few inches from her face, she looks down and reaches up to her neck, finding a dark blue scarf that matches her old custom-made cardigan coat from back during the Investigation. She still wears it, just not on days when it’s this cold.

He flashes her a toothy smile, “There, now that you’re all bundled up, we can go out.” Her heartbeat quickens to an alarming pace when he smiles, but she has an idea of what could calm it down.

\------

***None***

Naoto doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, making him get nervous, and then she stands up and takes a step towards him, making him back up. She takes another, and so does he. This continues until Kanji’s back is up against the wall, he’s blushing like mad, but he’s also scared shitless.

She steps in front of him, looking him in the eyes, if he wasn’t so scared he may have noticed how nervous she is. She puts her hands on his arms and begins making her way up to his neck, then she cups his face in between her hands. Her, gaining confidence. Him, relaxing under her touch.

“Kanji, I want to kiss you, is that okay?” She asks, her voice confident but her face crimson.

Kanji goes completely red as he starts to feel faint, but she’s holding him up. He splutters for a few seconds, before going silent and nodding slowly.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, moving closer as she does. She can feel his breath on her lips, and hers on his, inching closer and closer, until they finally connect. They both feel the electricity through their bodies, Kanji puts his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as Naoto moves her hands up from his face and to his hair as she deepens the kiss.

They both feel the need for air, but Naoto, emboldened by her actions thus far, chances to let her tongue graze his bottom lip. Surprised, Kanji opens his eyes, seeing hers are still closed, he feels her tongue again. He slightly opens his mouth, nearly yelping when he feels her tongue enter, and while he doesn’t make a noise, his tongue does move, and he likes the way it feels.

As their tongues dance, Naoto realizes that if she keeps indulging herself, they’ll both suffocate, so she slowly and reluctantly pulls away. They both stare into each other’s eyes, silently saying that they’ll continue this later. Naoto clears her throat and turns away from him, “Now then, if we head out now we should be able to get a cake, at least.”

Kanji realizes that he has yet to take a breath, so he does. He checks his new watch, seeing that they were only making out for around five minutes, even though it felt like an eternity. “Uh, yeah. L-let’s go get a cake, dammit!” His voice cracks and he winces once again at his inability to deal with shit like this.

Naoto, still facing away from him, laughs warmly. She turns to face him, putting both hands to her new scarf and squeezing it, “I love you, Kanji. I hope we can spend next Christmas Eve together, as well.”

Kanji scratches the back of his neck, “Yeah, yeah. I love you too, and shit…” He walks over to her and pulls her into a hug, to which he picks her up off the ground, earning a yelp from her. “And yeah we’re spending the next one together, yaint gettin’ rid of me that easy.” He says as he kisses her forehead.

...A delicious cake was eaten that evening.

**___________________________**

***Yosuke and Labrys***

***Y***

The door to the Hanamura residence opens as Yosuke makes his way in. “Is that you, Yosuke?” He hears his mom call out. He’s not really in the mood to respond, so he just grunts. “Did you get the strawberries I asked for?”

He sighs, she had asked him to go out and get some of the missing toppings for her Christmas cake, since she knew he had no plans. _What a drag…_ “Yeah, I got everything else, too.” He calls back, dejectedly.

He walks to the kitchen and puts down the bags, “Welp, I’ll be upstairs.” His mother hums and he leaves the kitchen and heads upstairs. _Even Teddie said he had plans for tonight... Who the hell could he be spending time with?!_ Yosuke heaves a frustrated sigh as he reaches his bedroom door.

He checks his phone, sighing again when he sees that there are no messages. Christmas Eve was already off to a bad start a week ago when Yu said in the Investigation Team group chat that he wouldn’t be able to return to Inaba for the holidays. Obviously that put a damper on everyone’s spirits, especially Chie.

 _Nah, I need to cool off._ Yosuke decides to put on a thick jacket and just go sit on his backyard’s stoop. Sure, it sucks that his best friend wouldn’t be here to spend time with all of them and his girlfriend. But it only got worse when yesterday Yosuke got a call from someone he became acquainted with last year during the P-1 Grand Prix, Mitsuru-san.

It’s not an odd occurrence for there to be a call between these two, as she’s normally the mediator between him and the person he actually calls her for, Labrys. A smile flashes on his face, before it falls to a frown. He breathes onto his gloved hands for more warmth, _I should’ve expected this though, she’s a superweapon for the Shadow Operatives, of course they’d need her. It’s not like otherworldly threats go on vacation with their families for Christmas... I’m never gonna catch a break, am I?_

He’s so deep in thought that doesn’t hear the doorbell ring.

\------

***L***

The door to the Hanamura residence opens, as Mrs. Hanamura pushes it aside to see a beautiful young lady with long blueish gray hair tied into a ponytail. Her vibrant red eyes sparkle with joy. “Hiya, Mrs. Hanamura!”

Yosuke’s mother seems very surprised for some reason, “Labrys-chan?” She’s got some powder on her hands, and some on her face. _Must be bakin’ somethin’._

Labrys flashes her winning smile, “Is Yosuke around?” She peers around his mom, seeing a silhouette in the back door’s shoji. _Gotcha._

His mom follows her eyes, and turns back to her with a smirk. “Head on back there, he’ll be ecstatic to see you.” Labrys’ smile grows, accompanied by a faint blush. “When you two get cold, come back in, I’ve baked a cake for the family, and I’d love if you ate with us.”

Labrys holds her tongue, she’s not supposed to tell anyone that doesn’t know that she’s an android, and that because of that she doesn’t need to eat. But she can, so she decides to live a little. “Sounds great, I’m sure we’ll be back in soon.” She says as she begins making her way to the back door.

She opens and closes the door quietly, risking a sneaky lean to get a peek at Yosuke’s face. She sees him with a hand holding his face, his elbow propped on his knee, his mouth curled downwards in a frown.

She reaches out and puts her hand on his head, ruffling his hair.

\------

***Y***

“Why the long face?” He screams and nearly jumps out of his skin when a hand playfully messes with his hair. He falls forwards and lands face first in the fresh snow. Angelic laughter fills his ears as he raises his head up, turning to see someone whom he was told wouldn’t be here.

“L-Labrys?!” He asks incredulously, “I thought you weren’t coming!” He stands up and runs over to her, bringing her into a warm hug he didn’t know he needed.

Labrys returns the hug, still giggling. “Where’d ya get that idea?” She asks, her voice still light, but now with an air of confusion.

Yosuke, very reluctantly, pulls away from Labrys, still holding her at her shoulders. He looks into her piercing red eyes, as she reaches her hand up to his hair again, brushing off the snow. “I called Mitsuru-san and she said that you and Aigis-san were on an operation, and you wouldn’t be able to visit us.”

Labrys’ eyes widen, “What? First time I’m hearin’ about it.” Her gloved hand moves down to his face, and he can feel the cold metal beneath the fabric. A welcome contrast to the heat on his face. She seems to recognize that her hand has betrayed her, as her face goes red and she pulls her hand back to her side.

Yosuke clicks his tongue, “Was this some kind of prank, then? Mitsuru-san doesn’t strike me as the playful type…” _I’m happy as hell she’s here, but why was I lied to?_ “Whatever... It’s been awhile! What’s up?”

He still feels the need to be casual, despite all they’ve been through. She chuckles as she’s turning back to him with a light pink on her cheeks, “I’ve been good! And it ain’t been that long since ya last saw me, I was here for Halloween!”

Yosuke smirks, “Uh, two months is a long time! Feels even longer than that honestly…” He says with a dejected sigh, before flashing her his winning grin. “But you’re here now!”

She beams at him, making his heart soar. “I’m here!” She looks up to the sky, snowflakes falling gently on her face. “I missed you, ya know.”

\------

***L***

She’s surprised the snowflakes aren’t melting faster when they make contact with her face. “I missed you too…” She hears him say softly, making her face heat up further, and that funny feeling in her chest she always gets when she’s with him grows.

She turns to look at him, locking eyes with him as he’s staring at her. He blushes and looks away, “...W-we all miss you like crazy!” He laughs nervously, “Ted never shuts up about you!” He continues, still laughing nervously as he scratches the back of his neck.

 _Time to press my advantage!_ Labrys hums faux thoughtfully, making Yosuke turn back to her. “I missed everyone else too…” She smiles softly, “...just missed you a bit more than them.”

Yosuke turns crimson, seemingly at a loss for words. _Yu was right! Worked like a charm!_ He opens and closes his mouth a few times, before clearing his throat. “Y-yeah?” He says with a crack in his voice.

Labrys’ smile widens as she nods. She puts her hands behind her back and takes a step towards him, making his lips twitch upwards. “Maybe a lot more, though…” She winks.

She swears she can see something like realization twinkle in Yosuke’s eyes as he also takes a step closer, leaving only a few inches between them. His blush has mostly faded, “Prove it.”

Labrys goes to take a step back, surprised that he’s retaliating, but he grabs her hands, making that feeling grow further. “P-prove what?” _He didn’t say this could happen!_

Yosuke pulls her closer to him, and she puts her hands on his chest for support, feeling how fast his heart is beating. “Prove that you missed me the most.” Labrys’ jaw goes slack, and she feels his chest rumble with soft laughter. “Or did Partner not tell you how?”

 _He knew?!_ “You knew?!” She asks, embarrassed at being caught.

Yosuke laughs again, and she relishes how it almost makes her laugh too. “I didn’t, but the ‘maybe a lot more’ is something that only he’d say when he’s flirting.” He smiles nostalgically, “I think he may have used those exact words with Chie when he came back during the first Grand Prix.”

Labrys clicks her tongue, _He gave me recycled material?!_ She huffs with a pout, “I just wanted to surprise ya and he goes and sets me up.” _I hope things go better for Naoto-kun…_

Yosuke snakes his arms around her waist, pulling her somehow closer. “You surprised the hell outta me, and I’m sure this is exactly what he wanted.”

Labrys would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy feeling his breath on her face, “Whaddya mean?” She asks as she moves her arms and wraps them around his back, deepening the embrace.

Yosuke grunts, and she realizes she may have squeezed too hard. He lets out a strained breath as she loosens her grip, “Thanks…” He clears his throat before speaking, “He was the one who pushed me to ask you out, ya know?”

Labrys smiles bashfully at the memory, but that’s a story for another day...

\------

***Y***

_Of course he was behind this... Another bit of payback for all the matchmaking, huh?_ Yosuke chuckles to himself. He looks down at the girl in his arms, and his eyes widen as he comes to another realization. “Holy shit! I didn’t get you a present! God dammit, I’m sorry, Labrys.”

Labrys tilts her head, “I think this is a pretty good present.” She says as she gives him a gentle squeeze, making him blush. “You’re like a teddy bear!”

Yosuke groans, “Don’t call me a teddy bear. If you say his name too much, he might just show up and ruin our night.”

Labrys smirks at him, raising an eyebrow suggestively. “‘Our night,’ huh? Whatcha got in mind, sweet stuff?” She says in a lower voice, sultry almost.

He shivers when she calls him ‘sweet stuff.’ “U-uh, I-I don’t…” He stammers out, kind of surprised he could even make words with how his brain is short-circuiting. “H-how long have we been out here?” He manages to choke out.

Labrys shrugs, “I don’t really care, I’m havin’ a great time…” She mutters into his chest. _Where did she learn all this shit?!_

Yosuke breathes a contented sigh, “Seriously… who taught you to say stuff like that?”

Labrys looks up into his eyes, humming. “I’ve been doin’ some research! Plus, I’ve been askin’ Yukari-san for advice about-” She stops short.

Yosuke quirks an eyebrow, “For advice about what?” She pushes her face back into his chest, making him get this goofy grin on his face.

\------

***None***

Labrys murmurs something into his jacket, making him laugh. “Didn’t quite catch that.” He says in a teasing tone.

Labrys pulls her head away from him, avoiding eye contact. She remembers what both Yu and Yukari-san said to her about turning the tables whenever you can, so she decides to. She takes a deep breath, turning to lock eyes with him, red meeting brown. “...You sure you don’t got any plans for ‘our night’?”

Yosuke tilts his head, blushing a bit. “U-uh, I don’t think so… why?”

“Press the advantage…” She says under her breath. She steps up to put her mouth next to his right ear, “...They don’t call me a ‘mechanical maiden’ for nothin’, cutie.” She whispers.

Yosuke wouldn’t be surprised if the heat from his face melted all the snow around them. He coughs profusely, letting go of her so he can catch his breath. “Wh-what do y-you mean by that?”

Labrys puts her hands behind her back, laughing as she walks to the back door. “Dunno.” She says with a suggestive lilt, “Now let’s head back inside, it’s freezing.” She turns back to him with a flirtatious smirk, “C’mon, I wanna eat that cake your mom made...” She finishes with a wink as she opens the door and walks inside.

Yosuke is stunned, he’s having a hard time processing whether or not he should be terrified or aroused. “W-wait, was that a euphemism?!” He shouts back into the house from the freezing outside. “Labrys?!”

He settles that he’ll be both as he walks back inside.

...Two cakes were eaten that evening.

**___________________________**

***Yu and Chie***

***C***

Impact. The snow that’s collected on top of the makeshift dummy gets pushed onto the ground by the force of her attack.

Another impact. She hears Muku barking up a storm, but she doesn’t really care at the moment, she’s much more invested in venting her frustrations to her ‘sparring partner.’

Yet another impact. This one sends the dummy falling to the ground, the snow likely causing the place where it’s dug into the soil to become wet, dislodging it. She groans in frustration, kicking the snow beneath her. She ignores the back door opening behind her, as her parents know she’s in a bad mood, they probably wouldn’t bother her. _Probably letting Muku out or something._

As she’s about to pick up the dummy, another pair of gloved hands picks it up before she can. Following the arms, she sees the source of her bad mood. Who else could it possibly be, other than Yu Narukami?

“Let me.” He says in that quiet voice of his, resetting the dummy. He turns to look at her with a cryptic smile, but it seems kind of sad, she thinks. His hair’s just the slightest bit shaggier since she last saw him on Halloween, covered a bit by a familiar fluffy muffler. He’s wearing his light grey peacoat and black slacks, accompanied by a black and white plaid scarf that looks oh-so-warm.

Chie’s frozen, not from the cold, she’s been working out for too long to be cold, but from disbelief. It takes every fiber of her being not to run up and crush him into a passionate embrace, one where she’d crush his spine from a hug and suffocate him with a kiss.

She knows him too well by now to know that he planned this.

“Can I take one of those?” He asks with a sheepish smile as he points at her leg, making Chie tilt her head with a frown on her face. “This clearly didn’t work out like I thought it would, so I think it’d be good for both of us if you just kick-” _Deal._

He’s interrupted by a precise and brutal kick to the side of his outer thigh. He takes a knee with his other leg and rubs the very soon-to-be bruise, Chie folds her arms and glares at him. “Happy?”

Yu breathes heavily, hissing through his teeth each time he exhales. “N-no, not really…” He says as he tries to stand up, leaning against the other dummy for support. _Hehe._ He flashes her a pained smile, “Merry Christmas... Satonaka.” He says her name slowly.

She looks away and scoffs, “Why’d you lie, idiot?” Now that she’s stopped moving her body so much, the cold is getting to her a bit more, but she’s not gonna let him see that.

Yu chuckles softly, wincing when he accidentally puts more weight on his hurt leg. “I don’t know which hurts more, the insult or the injury.” She glares at him, making him sigh and run a hand through his hair. “I thought it’d make for a good surprise.” He says as he locks eyes with her.

Chie huffs, wrapping her arms around herself unconsciously. “Well it didn’t. How’d you even come up with a such a dumb idea?”

Yu takes a step towards her, grunting as he does. “I guess I miscalculated how much me being absent would affect you…” His eyes look away as he takes another step, quietly muttering, “...again.”

Chie’s anger gives way to sadness at the memory, but she shakes her head. “This is different, you planned this, dummy.”

His eyes move back to hers, “Right.” He takes another step, only a few more until he’s within crushing distance. He pulls out his phone and smirks as he reads something, he shows her a text. “Looks like my dumb idea worked for Naoto.”

 **NS:** PLAN SUCCESSFUL.  
**NS:** DID IT WORK FOR U AND CHIE-SENPAI? Y/N

Chie laughs heartily at seeing Naoto’s text speech, as she always does. Yu speaks up again, taking another step. “And I haven’t heard from Labrys, so I’m just gonna assume that went well too.” He says with a smirk.

Chie rolls her eyes as he takes yet another step, “You dragged Naoto-kun and Labrys-chan into it too?” She says as she can feel her body start to shiver ever so slightly.

Yu shrugs with a wide smile on his face, taking another step, mere inches from touching each other now. “I don’t think it’s possible for Kanji to get upset with Naoto, so it was a surefire win for them. Yosuke’s was more for old time’s sake, but I’m sure Labrys played her part expertly.” He takes off one of his gloves, holding out his bare hand.

He’s about to say something else as Chie thinks to herself, _Why can’t I stay mad at him?!_

\------

***Y***

He opens his mouth to speak, only for Chie to crash her lips onto his, pulling him into a bone breaking hug, that he’s more than happy to reciprocate. _I don’t wanna say it’s a success… but looking at these results? It’s hard to argue otherwise._

He pulls away from the kiss, keeping her cold body within his warm embrace. The feeling reminds him of something, he attempts to shake it, but he can’t. “...You’re really here.” He says with a lump in his throat, a sentence that means a lot to the two of them.

She reaches up and puts her hand to his face, stroking his cheek. “Can we go inside?” She says, her eyes a bit watery. He nods, taking her hand and interlacing their fingers as they make their way in.

...

After another slobbery assault from Muku, Yu goes to the bathroom and washes his face, _Get a hold of yourself. You got over this shit years ago, go be with her._ He slaps himself to wake up a bit, stepping out of the bathroom and into Chie’s room, closing the door behind him.

Chie’s changed out of her usual thin jacket and shorts that she was ‘training’ in, and into a sky blue v-neck shirt that’s a bit familiar to him, and some loose fitting grey sweatpants that she tightened around her waist, also familiar to him. “Hey.” She says with a faint blush on her features.

Yu smirks, making her blush further. “Hey yourself. Nice clothes, where’d you get ‘em?”

Chie smirks in response, making him crack a wide smile. “I stole them from my boyfriend when I spent Christmas at his place. They’re my go-to pajamas.”

Yu gasps and puts a hand to his heart, feigning shock. “Y-you have a boyfriend? B-but I thought that…” She snorts, making him laugh as he walks over to her bed. Sitting down, he turns to her. “Your present’s downstairs by the way.” She looks at him with surprise, then down to his hands. “I figured you could open it when we eat the cake I brought tomorrow, since you might be busy tonight.” He says huskily, making her go beet red.

She takes a hold of both of his hands, now with no gloves or coat covering anything. “...You’re still wearing these.” She says as she runs her fingers over one of the wristbands.

He blushes a bit himself, looking away from her. “Of course I am, you gave them to me... Chie.” His eyes widen and he turns crimson as he tries to pull away from her. _Why can I still not say her name normally?!_

Chie gasps and pounces on top of him, lightly punching him in the shoulder as she pins him down, “You said my name!” She says with a deep blush and a bright smile, “You never call me ‘Chie’!”

Yu covers his face with his hands, “Please don’t look at me, I can't handle it…” _God… and I’m supposed to be charming?_

Chie pulls his hands away, interlacing her fingers with his as she still holds him down. “What are you getting embarrassed for? Why’s it always so hard for you to call me by my first name?”

 _Do I even have a logical answer to that? ...I’m gonna sound like a goddamn kid…_ Yu looks into her eyes, his face is way too hot for comfort, and he can’t stop his leg from shaking. “It’s because you’re you…” He tightly shuts his eyes as he cringes at his reason. _We’ve been together for awhile now, and I can’t even say her name without-_ He’s silenced as he feels a soft pair of lips envelop his own.

\------

***C***

Chie glances at her clock, seeing it reads **12:47 AM**. _Wow, he was right…_ She blushes as she turns on her side, facing Yu, who’s staring at her already. He reaches up and runs a hand through her longer hair, “I know I said it last time I was here, but I love your hair like this.” He says with a dumb grin on his face.

Chie sighs contently, “You said it the time before that too… and when you first saw it.” She pulls his hand out of her hair, they’re both rather sticky right now, so it’s just kind of unpleasant.

That dumb smile stays plastered on his face as he snakes an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. “My plan worked after all.” _Like hell it did…_

Chie scoffs, playfully slapping his chest, avoiding one of his scars. “Did not, this would’ve happened either way.” She says as she traces a circle with her finger on him.

Yu quirks an eyebrow, and his grin becomes mischievous. “Oh? You wanted this to happen tonight?” _Geez! Someone remind me, why am I in love with this guy, again?_

She groans and puts her face in the crook of his neck, eyeing one of the marks that’ll bruise in the morning. “...Stupid.”

He hugs her tightly, “I’m your Stupid, though.” He says warmly, his slow breathing making her drowsy.

She squeezes him back, “Damn right, you are.” She feels his breath hitch.

He kisses the top of her head, “...You’re really here.” She feels both immense happiness and deep sadness from those words, both from his tone and from the memory.

She kisses his scar, squeezing him again as she does. “...and I’m never leaving.”

He chuckles softly, the laughter rumbling from his chest, making her feel all warm and fuzzy. “Damn right, you’re not.”

She pulls away to look him in the eyes, quickly giving him a peck on the lips. “Wanna watch something before we knock out?” She asks as she stands up.

\------

***None***

Chie watches his eyes move up and down her entire body as she stands, “That depends, are we actually gonna watch it?” Yu says suggestively.

She remembers that she’s not exactly wearing anything, so she grabs some clothes off the floor to cover herself. “Y-you perv!”

He laughs as he turns on his side, looking away from her. “Sure, whatever you say Ms. ‘Would’ve Happened Either Way’.”

Yu feels an empty bottle hit his head, “G-geez, what’s with you?!” She ruffles through her collection of DVD’s and grabs the sequel to Trial of the Dragon, a movie that she asked him out to see once as a means of competing with Rise. She turns on her TV and pops it in the DVD player, jumping back under the sheets. “There, one of the best movies ever, now we’re definitely gonna watch.”

He turns onto his other side, he lays his arm over Chie’s stomach, pulling her close as they both start watching the movie. He smirks, “We’ve seen this one before, though. Soooooo…” He says with a lilt in his voice.

She huffs, digging a nail into his wandering hand. “Shut up and watch, dummy.”

Yu winces in pain, “Guess I’ll try again in a bit.”

...

He succeeds the second time.

\------

**12/25 2013**

After washing up, twice in Yu’s case; once after last night’s activities and another after Muku said good morning when he got out of her shower, making him wash his face after just washing it before.

The two young adults are now sitting with Chie’s parents at the kitchen table, eating some Christmas cake after opening Yu’s gift, which was a sterling silver necklace with a locket. Inside is the picture the Investigation Team took after meeting up just before the Red Fog rolled in, all of them standing beside each other happily. He also revealed that he has an identical necklace, further keeping the joke of matching gifts between the two of them.

As the four of them eat cake, and Muku devours a bone that Yu brought for him yesterday, Chie’s dad speaks up. “...You two could be a bit quieter, you know.” He says in a gruff voice, making Yu blanch and his eyes go wide, while Chie turns crimson.

“D-dad!” She yells, slamming a hand onto the table.

Her mother sighs, “I hope you’re using protection…”

Yu coughs, turning even paler, as Chie just splutters for a few seconds before entering a coughing fit of her own.

…

...A delicious cake was eaten very awkwardly that morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Normal chapters will resume next week!
> 
> This really was a lot of fun, plus it helps me prepare for when we get to see these characters who haven't been introduced in the main fic yet.
> 
> That bit about Yu being embarrassed to say Chie's first name was inspired by this! https://imgur.com/a/sWhehPa
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! Merry Christmas once again!


End file.
